The Commissioner of Police (CP), Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Adeyemi Ogunyemilusi, has denied allegation that suspected gunmen attacked former governor Godswill Akpabio’s residence, disrupting a high profile political meeting on Tuesday night.

According to the CP, the political meeting lasted till the early hours of Wednesday, August 22, amid tight security following a gun scare about 200metres to Senator Akpabio’s residence in his hometown, Ukana Ikot Ntuen, Essien Udim Local Government Area.

It was alleged that unknown gunmen on motorcycles had shot randomly causing prominent politicians to scamper for their safety, and forcing the meeting to be temporarily halted for about one hour.

Although there was exchange of gunshots from security officials at the meeting, the commissioner of Police explained that six hoodlums on two motorcycles had invaded a filling station nearby Akpabio’s house and robbed the attendants of the day’s sales and customers.

“It was just a mere coincidence that the incident happened at about 7:30PM, on Tuesday, August 21, when the meeting was ongoing at Senator Akpabio’s residence.

“Immediately the hoodlums attacked the filling station, somebody at the meeting called me. The Area Commander and other policemen were drafted to the scene and within minutes, security was restored.

“You know how Ikot Ekpene is with these hoodlums on motorcycles. So it just a flash incident of petty thieves robbing a filling station near the residence of His Excellency.

“Even our quick response was applauded by His Excellency when he came out of the meeting to see our men heavily on guard around the area, so nobody should overheat the polity because of politics”, the CP warned.

Meanwhile, the Media Aide to Senator Godswill Akpabio, Mr. Anietie Ekong, who said that there was shooting around the vicinity, noted that “the Police arrived early to put the situation under control”.

• Sourced from a Vanguard report

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